


I Would Be Nothing Without You Holding Me Up (Now I’m Strong Enough For Both of Us)

by LacieDayParade



Series: All I Have Is Here And Now [1]
Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Alex Rider Big Bang, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 13:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17602319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LacieDayParade/pseuds/LacieDayParade
Summary: "Abruptly, Alex stood up - he’d made a decision. Now to act on it. Leaning down, he scooped the kitten up gently and deposited it into a hoodie pocket, then turned to make the walk South. It was time to face his demons.Well, some of them at least."-----In which Alex is adopted by a cat.No really, that's it. That's the plot.EDIT: Now with artwork!





	I Would Be Nothing Without You Holding Me Up (Now I’m Strong Enough For Both of Us)

**Author's Note:**

> I am a cat person. So much so that I have two tattooed on my arm (pic available on my instagram if anyone is curious!). 
> 
> The thing I love the most about cats is that, just like dogs, they will love you unconditionally. And it got me thinking, which of my favourite boys deserves that sort of love? And of course, it's Alex. So I gave him a cat. 
> 
> You're all welcome.
> 
> Title is taken from Giant, the new song by Calvin Harris and the Rag'n'Bone Man. It's delightful, do give it a listen if you haven't heard it yet.
> 
> EDIT: The gorgeous art that now accompanies this fic was created by the multi-talented [Wolfern](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2547026/wolfern) over on FF.Net.

Alex sat, hunched into his own body and trying bitterly to protect himself from the rain sheeting down onto London’s grey cityscape. His hair was plastered to his head, the thin hood doing nothing to stop the cold and wet from battering his form.

The bus shelter was deserted, no other signs of life in sight. And why would there be, he thought. It’s two in the morning. A violent shudder racked his body as a particularly determined droplet of water wormed its way down past his thin hoodie and t-shirt, sliding down past the small of his back.

A lot had changed for Alex in the years since he’d gone to America with the Pleasures. He’d struggled in the school that they’d placed him in, and struggled again in the next one. And the next. Eventually, he’d stopped attending classes altogether, simply leaving the house in the morning and returning late in the day. Edward, who’d been so sure Alex would thrive with them, pushed and pushed and pushed, and Alex had snapped. The resulting argument was explosive, to say the least.

The Pleasure’s couldn’t take back adopting him. So Alex had done the next best thing. He’d taken his passport, taken their money, and taken himself to San Francisco International Airport. Then he’d booked a ticket on the next flight to London Heathrow. Fourteen hours later, he was back on English soil.

He’d used Edward Pleasure’s contactless credit card to jump on the Piccadilly line to Knightsbridge. He’s gotten off the tube at just after midnight, and he’d been sitting at the shelter since, trying to figure out what he should do next.

Just a short walk South was his home in Chelsea, where he’d been raised by Ian and later Jack. But even now, two years on, the thought of going there, being where they had been… It was too much. And to the East was Liverpool Street, where MI6 housed themselves. Alex was not going there first. No way.

Although thinking about it, MI6 probably already knew exactly where he was. They’d probably known his every move since he’d stepped out the Pleasure’s front door.

It was as he was contemplating his miserable existence surrounded by the miserable weather that Alex felt something small and soft brush past his ankle. His body stilled, barely drawing in a breath. Looking down, he saw a kitten. It had crept from the darkness and was sat meekly between his legs.

Reaching down, Alex ran a finger over the small head and down the thin spine. The kitten arched into his touch, letting out a pitiful mewl. Alex bit his lip, looking around through the pouring rain for where the kitten could have come from. There had to be someone looking for it; either an owner or a worried mother-cat.

But, kitten notwithstanding, the street was just as deserted as it had been since the last of the late-night crowd had cleared out to avoid the rain. It was almost as if the two of them were the only living souls left outside on that cold, wet Friday night.

Abruptly, Alex stood up - he’d made a decision. Now to act on it. Leaning down, he scooped the kitten up gently and deposited it into a hoodie pocket, then turned to make the walk South. It was time to face his demons.

Well, some of them at least.

\----------

It was a 35 minute walk from Knightsbridge to his home in Chelsea. The rain didn’t let up the entire way there, and Alex was thoroughly soaked by the time he was stamping up the front steps.

Only to realise he didn’t have a key. Damn. 

The kitten, which had been still and quiet for the duration of the walk, let out another yowl and Alex pulled it from his pocket. He stared at the kitten, and the kitten stared back. 

“You’re a cute little thing, aren’t you?” The kitten purred, trying to wriggle out of Alex’s hand and into the gap between his hood and neck. “Alright, you sit tight there while I try and find the spare key.”

It didn’t take long for Alex to find the key, it was in the same place as it always had been. Beneath an ugly little flowerpot he had vague memories of decorating when he’d still been in nursery. Ian had loved it, and it had taken pride of place on their front door step since Alex had brought it home.

“Well cat, here we are,” he said, unlocking the door and pushing it open. The house was exactly as he remembered it. It looked untouched from when he’d been there last. When he’d been packing his things to go with the Pleasures. Leaving behind the last paltry remnants of his life.

Alex shut the door softly behind him, wary of disturbing whatever ghosts lurked in the house. And there would definitely be some. Not in the traditional sense, of course, but memories were ghosts. And Alex had a lot of those.

He’d almost expected the layout of the house to have changed, somehow. But it was exactly as he remembered it. The front door opened into a small hallway that led into the living room, and beyond that there was another hallway with doors leading to the kitchen and dining room, as well as a downstairs bedroom with small en-suite and a door to the back garden. The stairs were on the right side of this further hallway, leading up to the second floor with two bedrooms and a shared bathroom, and then up once more to the top floor and what had been Ian’s office.

The kitten’s nose edged its way out of Alex’s hood, whiskers tickling the side of his face and neck. It was then he realised there was a puddle of water forming beneath his feet. Toeing off his shoes, he left them by the door and crept across the living room towards the stairs.

Alex and Jack had both slept in the bedrooms on the upper floor, while Ian had taken the downstairs. His uncle had always said it was because he didn’t want to wake either of them when he got up early, or home late. Of course, Alex had realised not long after everything with Sayle that Ian really slept on the ground floor because it meant he’d better be able to protect them; to keep anyone that broke in from getting to Ian through his only two weaknesses left in the world.

Upstairs, Alex slipped into the bathroom, shedding his hoodie and plucking the kitten from his shoulder. He left the hoodie on the floor and plopped the kitten on the counter. It sniffed the air a few times, then set about exploring the new location. Alex watched for a few moments, a rare smile gracing his face. 

Certain the kitten would be fine for a while, Alex turned to the bath, twisting the hot tap. A jet of water burst from the shower head into the tub. He stripped the rest of his clothes off, leaving them in a heap with the hoodie. He stepped into the tub and under the steaming spray, letting the warm water chase away the chill that permeated his body. Alex stood under the water until his skin was pink. 

Once he was out, he wrapped a towel around his waist, scooped the kitten back up and headed to his bedroom. The yowl it let out at being moved had him smiling again. 

Just like the rest of the house, his bedroom hadn’t changed since he’d left for the US. It was still set up exactly as he’d had it for the last 5 years of his life. His bed was pressed up against the wall to his left, beneath the window that overlooked the garden and TV mounted on the wall at the foot. On the shelf below was his Xbox 360, and the Sky TV box, as well as the remote. Opposite him was a wardrobe, a chest of drawers and more shelves, full of photo frames and knick knacks from his and Ian’s travels.

Just to the left of the door was his desk; still half covered in school work, with a lamp off to one corner. There was a notable empty space just in front of the chair, where his laptop had sat. He’d taken it with him to America, and it was still there now. Alex hadn’t wanted to weigh himself down when he’d left.

He put the kitten down on the floor, grabbed a piece of paper and screwed it into a ball. He threw the paper down, and the kitten pounced on it, rolling round with its new toy. While the kitten was distracted, he got dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Alex had taken it for granted initially, relieved to be out of the wet but it was strange that his house had been untouched for so long, considering he’d been gone for months. 

Then he heard the hinges on the front door creak open. Tensing, he strained to listen over the pouring rain to what was happening downstairs. A clear voice floated up the stairs.

“Alex, we know it’s you. Come down, please,” John Crawley’s voice hadn’t changed. Sighing, Alex picked the kitten up again, still clawing at the paper ball, and went back downstairs.

“Crawley. What are you doing in my house?”

“Technically, this isn’t your house ‘til you turn eighteen.” The older man smiled, though it looked more like a grimace. Alex flopped onto the sofa in the living room, arching a brow. He puts the kitten down on his lap where it promptly curled up into a little ball, head tucked under its paws. Crawley was so distracted by seeing the small creature he stood silent for at least a minute and half before Alex decided to cut to the chase.

“That doesn’t answer the question, you know.”

“Yes, well. My superiors were very concerned when they received a call from the Pleasures saying you’d disappeared. It seemed fairly obvious you’d be returning here, so I was sent to meet with you.” 

“I’m not going back there. I’m not!” Alex tried to quell the panic that was trying to claw its way up his throat. The kitten shifted in his lap and he stroked a finger down the length of its spine, doing it again and again when the anxiety started to seep away.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be going back,” Another grimace smile flickered over Crawley’s face. “Mrs Jones think it’s better for you to be here, where we can help you. There’s food in the kitchen, and we’ll arrange for someone to come and check on that cat tomorrow.”

“Oh. Thanks.” 

“We’ll explain everything in the morning, Alex. In the meantime, I’d recommend getting some sleep. It’s quite late.” Crawley gave him a nod, then turned and left. Once the door was firmly shut, Alex all but collapsed back into the cushions behind him.

“Sleep probably isn’t a bad idea, buddy. Let’s go to bed,” Alex stood, holding the kitten close, and went back to his bedroom. He put the kitten on the floor and crawled into bed. Despite how long his day had been, Alex found himself falling asleep quickly. 

\----------

At some point in the early hours of the morning, Alex woke up to find the kitten snuggled in the crook of his arm, purring loudly.

“You’re going to need a name, I think,” He mused quietly, trying not to wake the small animal. Though he’d have to wait until whoever MI6 were sending to confirm, he was fairly certain the kitten was male. It didn’t take long for a name to spring to mind.

“How does Hunter sound? It suits you.” 

And with that, Alex fell back asleep, thoughts on what would happen tomorrow as far away as infinity.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading yo.
> 
> This is honestly the first thing I've written in 3+ years that I've thrown my all into. And although I'm not 100% happy with how it's come out, I am damn well proud of myself for it :D
> 
> I have more ideas for fics set in this universe, so feel free to subscribe to the series if you want to see more!


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